Rhondda Cynon Taf

Health improved substantially in Rhondda Cynon Taf in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in religion and housing tenure.

The population passed 230,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Rhondda Cynon Taf increased by 1.1%, from just under 232,000 to 234,000.

The addition of almost 2,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of Wales (up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Rhondda Cynon Taf was home to, on average, 3.9 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Welsh language in Rhondda Cynon Taf

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Rhondda Cynon Taf remained close to 12% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

There are 274 more people living here who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 1,357.

In nearby Merthyr Tydfil, 8.9% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 10% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

Monmouthshire was one of the few areas that saw an increase in the proportion of Welsh speakers (from 9.0% in 2001 to 9.9% in 2011), while Carmarthenshire saw the largest fall (from 50% to 44%).

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was lower than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Health improved

This area saw Wales' second-largest fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across Wales saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 12% to 7.6%.

In 2011, just under 1 in 10 (9.6%) in Rhondda Cynon Taf said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 16% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 61% to 75%.

The largest decrease occurred in Merthyr Tydfil (from 18% to 11%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Rhondda Cynon Taf decreased by 6.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Rhondda Cynon Taf

The number of people in Rhondda Cynon Taf that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 59,000 in 2001 to about 96,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 25% to 41% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Wales (from 19% to 32%).

The number of people in Rhondda Cynon Taf that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 150,000 in 2001 to just under 120,000 in 2011 (from 65% to 51%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from about 21,000 to about 17,000 (from 9.0% to 7.4%).

Just under 1,100 people (0.3%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 570 in 2001 (0.5%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Rhondda Cynon Taf increased by 16 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Rhondda Cynon Taf that rented privately increased from 7.4% to 14% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in seven (14%) households lived in social housing, compared with 15% in 2001. The percentage of Rhondda Cynon Taf households that owner their home decreased from 75% to 71%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to Merthyr Tydfil (from 6.2% in 2001 to 12% in 2011). Across Wales, the proportion increased from 8.6% to 14%.

Private renting in Rhondda Cynon Taf increased by 6.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Wales that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More people living alone

In Rhondda Cynon Taf, the proportion went up from 27% in 2001 to 30% in 2011, while across Wales it fell from 29% to 27%. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 29% to 31%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Rhondda Cynon Taf increased from 8.0% to 9.9%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 38% to 33%.

The percentage of households with only a single-person was lower than across Wales

Percentage of households that that comprised only a single person across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links